UK Bank of Mum and Dad Calculator

Compare all ways parents can help with a property purchase: gift, soft loan, JBSP, guarantor mortgage, and family offset. See the deposit impact, monthly savings, LTV improvement, and full tax implications. All figures in GBP.

£
£
£
%
yrs
Combined Deposit
£42,000 (15.0% LTV)
Monthly payment: £1,357
Loan Amount
£238,000
Without Parental Help
£1,517/mo
Monthly Saving
£160/mo
LTV with Help
85.0%
Selected method — Gift (no repayment):
Parent loses capital permanently. No repayment expected. Lender requires signed gift letter.

Compare all 5 main Bank of Mum and Dad structures. Each has different financial, legal, and tax implications for parent and child.

MethodParent Loses Capital?Credit File Impact (Child)Parent on Mortgage?Parent on Title?IHT Risk?Best For
GiftYes — permanentlyNoneNoNoIf dies within 7 yrsSimplest — clean break
Soft LoanExpects repaymentMay reduce capacityNoNoPotentialFamily with repayment plan
JBSPNo capital lostImproves capacityYes — liabilityNoLowIncome boost needed
GuarantorProperty at riskImproves accessYes — securedNoPotentialChild needs lender trust
Family OffsetNo — savings retainedReduces interestNoNoLowParent keeps savings

A family offset mortgage lets a parent place savings in a linked account. The savings balance reduces the child's mortgage balance for interest calculation — without the parent lending or gifting the money. Parent keeps their savings and can withdraw them (with notice).

£
Without Offset
£1,357/mo
Mortgage: £238,000
Total interest: £169,064
With £50,000 Offset
£1,072/mo
Effective loan: £188,000
Total interest: £133,546
Interest Saved Over Term
£35,518
Over 25 years
Monthly Payment Saving
£445
Vs no offset
Parent Savings Retained?
Yes
Savings remain accessible to parent (with notice)
IHT Risk
None
Savings are not gifted — parent still owns them
Family offset mortgages are available from specialist lenders. The parent's savings earn no interest but instead "earn" the mortgage rate in interest reduction — often better than savings rates. If the parent withdraws savings, the offset benefit reduces proportionally.

How to Use This Bank of Mum and Dad Calculator

Enter the property price, how much the child has saved, how much the parent is contributing, and select the help method. The calculator shows the combined deposit, effective LTV, monthly payment, and the specific impact of the chosen parental arrangement.

The 5 Help Methods Explained

The Advanced tier compares all 5 methods side by side — gift, soft loan, Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor (JBSP), guarantor, and family offset — across 6 key dimensions. It also provides an IHT calculator for gifts and explains JBSP mechanics in detail.

The Pro tier models the family offset savings benefit, the Barclays Springboard mortgage product, and compares making a living gift now versus leaving an inheritance — including time value of money.

LTV and Rate Threshold Formula

Total Deposit = Child Savings + Parental Contribution

LTV = (Loan Amount ÷ Property Price) × 100

Loan Amount = Property Price − Total Deposit

Monthly Payment = Loan × [r(1+r)^n] / [(1+r)^n − 1]

Key UK LTV thresholds: 95%, 90%, 85%, 80%, 75%, 60%
Crossing a threshold typically saves 0.25%–0.75% on your rate

Every LTV tier crossed can save significant money. Moving from a 90% to an 85% LTV might save 0.4% on rate — on a £200,000 mortgage over 25 years, that is over £14,000 in interest saved.

Example: Jake and Sarah Help Their Son Buy in Leeds

The Wilson Family — JBSP Arrangement

Jake and Sarah's son Tom earns £38,000 and can only borrow £171,000 on his own. They want to help him buy a £260,000 flat without gifting their savings.

Property Price£260,000
Tom's Savings (Deposit)£26,000 (10%)
Tom's Income£38,000
Tom Only Max Mortgage£171,000
Jake's Income (added via JBSP)£52,000
Combined Max Mortgage£405,000
Mortgage Needed£234,000
Jake on Title?No — sole proprietor is Tom
Stamp Duty Surcharge?None — Jake is not on title

Jake boosts Tom's borrowing power without owning a stake, avoiding the 3% stamp duty surcharge on second properties. Jake remains financially liable if Tom defaults, so this requires significant trust and financial planning.

Frequently Asked Questions

The "Bank of Mum and Dad" refers to parents helping adult children with property purchases, typically through a deposit gift, soft loan, or more structured arrangements like a guarantor or JBSP mortgage. In 2024 it was involved in around 57% of first-time buyer transactions in the UK, making parents collectively one of the largest mortgage lenders in the country.
Parents can give up to £3,000 per year completely free of Inheritance Tax (the annual exemption). Larger gifts are "potentially exempt transfers" — they become fully exempt if the parent survives 7 years after making the gift. The 40% IHT rate reduces on a sliding taper after 3 years. Gifts that are regular payments from income may also be fully exempt under the "normal expenditure out of income" rule.
A JBSP mortgage allows a parent to be added to the mortgage application to boost the child's borrowing power — using the parent's income in the affordability calculation. However, the parent is NOT named on the property title deeds. The child is the sole legal owner. This means the parent does not trigger the 3% stamp duty surcharge (which applies to people buying a second property). The parent remains financially liable if the child cannot pay.
A family offset mortgage lets a parent place savings in a linked account attached to the child's mortgage. The savings balance reduces the "effective" mortgage balance for interest calculation — so the child pays less interest. The parent retains full ownership of the savings (no gift), the money is not subject to IHT risk, and the parent can typically withdraw savings (usually with a notice period). This is one of the cleanest ways for parents to help without giving money away.
The Barclays Springboard mortgage allows a parent to place 10% of the property price into a Barclays Helpful Start savings account for 5 years. The child can then borrow up to 100% of the property value. After 5 years of on-time payments by the child, the parent receives their savings back with interest. If the child falls into arrears, the parent's savings may be used to cover the shortfall. This is a structured way to help without a permanent gift.

Related UK Calculators

Sources & References